I like the description of how she stereotyped the various houses. People do tend to underestimate the courage and ability of those considered "good," don't they?

This line: "Harry Potter was nothing, merely scrawny boy," might sound better if you said "merely A scrawny boy."

Pansy seems more interested in being with the boy she fancies than committing to a cause she believes in.

Her fanaticism about eliminating Muggles is pretty horrible.

It makes sense that she would feel safe, if she is absolutely certain of her side's eventual victory.

I particularly like this line: "She would be basking in the glory of the Dark Lord’s reign before bed." It really captures how Pansy is thinking and how she feels about the Death Eater victory.

I also like the detail about how the Parkinsons have allowed their money to accumulate in Gringotts' rather than spending it. My creed, of course, and the way of life I chose, highlights the importance of generosity and service to the poor.

In my era, I saw a new world begin to develop, but it was rather different from the new world which Pansy hopes for.

Hi there! It's your Secret Santa, here to spread some festive joy :) this is your FIRST WEEK present and I hope you enjoy!

The line 'to put it commonly' was such a great addition. It was an instant reminder that Pansy still considers herself superior to others purely because she's a pureblood.

I love the way Mrs Parkinson was drawn out more in this chapter. That moment with the Aurors was very touching and I feel rather sorry for her. She doesn't seem bothered about anything other than the wellbeing of her husband, whereas Pansy appears to care less about her father and more about her social standing.

Unfortunately this is my final SS review, but when I have more time on my hands I'll definitely come back to this!

Hi there! It's your Secret Santa, here to spread some festive joy :) this is your FIRST WEEK present and I hope you enjoy!

Ahh is it wrong of me to feel sorry for Pansy?! Everything she stands for and does makes me squirm but here, in this chapter, she's so humanised and REAL that it's hard to say she deserved it. On the other hand, it's great to see that she's still into all of the pureblood aristocracy - she's concerned not only with how to get out, but about seeing all her fellow people in prison. The fact she doesn't have a massive mental breakdown is a testament to your characterisation. I love it!

I've always wondered what happened directly after the war. I've read a few post-Hogwarts fics but they've usually been a few years later. This feels present - like it's happening right now. Having the Purebloods trapped seems like an excellent idea - very in character for the Ministry, I believe.

Hi there! It's your Secret Santa, here to spread some festive joy :) this is your FIRST WEEK present and I hope you enjoy!

First of all, I completely adore your characterisation of Pansy here. Obviously as a basis we don't really know much about her other than she's a pug-faced Slytherin pureblood - I'm ecstatic to see her fleshed out here. The motives you've given her for betraying Harry, so to speak, and the way she watches out for the other Purebloods is really comprehensive to read and gives her an additional dimension rarely seen.

The interweaving of the Deathly Hallows plot points is great too. Very clear and well done! In particular I really liked Slughorn and how the reader gets a better insight into how things played out for him.

This is one of my absolute favourite stories, and one of the best on the archives. I simply adore everything about this story. Your talent really shines through and your narration blends in beautifully with what I imagine Pansy's behaviour to be. Her dislike for imperfectness, her internal conflict with her upbringing, her gradual change in personality are all executed beautifully. The Pansy at the beginning of this novel is very, very different from the Pansy now, and you clearly have an immense amount of patience because writing this personality change to happen so genuinely requires making it happen slowly, and you've absolutely achieved that.

I love the little tidbits about her life, like Astor (autocorrect tried to change that to Astoria there :P) and Adri. I'm actually really suspicious about Adri's heritage. Pansy was quite quick to jump to the half-blood conclusion, but I wonder whether he's actually a pure-blood who never had a house-elf upbringing (like the Weasleys, etc) and this puts Pansy in a quandary when she discovers this fact later down the line, after she's fallen for him. Then again, he could easily be a Muggle-born -- imagine what would happen if Pansy met his Muggle parents?!

The only critique I can suggest is that you might want to double-check your formatting. There are some new paragraphs / sentences that start below the last paragraph.
Like this, without a space in between. It doesn't happen a huge amount, but I'd suggest that if you have time, fixing those would help the chapters to flow better.

Overall, this is a beautifully-written story by an exceptionally talented author and I can't wait for the next chapter! Good luck with completing this by the end of the month, ♥

Its been ages since my last review and I'm so sorry, lovely but real life really bites! I had wanted to come back to this immediately but things got in the way but coming back to is such a lovely boost to my day.
I had forgotten why I'd always loved this take on Pansy and it was great getting back into her head and your wonderful writing.
So the beginning of this is with Draco and Pansy and while it was a bit awkward I was really starting to feel sorry for her. I knew that she had always had a crush on him and though things were obviously not what she had thought, it was so blatantly clear here. Draco came off as very cold and a little snobbish here and I could understand why Pansy had gotten a bit offended, though her own comments were just as cruel.
I thought it was a good balance but I felt a spark of indignation at Draco's comment towards the end and I really just want Pansy to be happy now and forget about that prat. :P
But anyway, the conversation with her reflection and the outburst was just so powerful. It really showed how lonely she was and I'm worried that she might not really show her feelings without hurting herself. There's no one there for her and that was just so bold to write, I can't help but picture her standing there, talking to herself without anyone to lean on.
Man, its depressing but beautiful writing. I mean, its just so compelling!
And that ending! I can't believe that she's willing to toss aside all of her family's traditions just to fit in with the new "rules" of the Wizarding world. That was a startling moment for me to read in her and I wonder how its going to work out...gah, I must read on! I must! >_<
Thanks for the lovely read too, sorry that its been so long!
Much love,
Gabbie

Author's Response: Gah- I definitely understand! I'm so sorry for not responding earlier- I can assure you that I definitely appreciate the time you took to read and review! This is quite a lovely review!

I'm glad that you still like this take on Pansy. Yeah, poor Pansy. Her conversation with Draco was anything but nice.

It's interesting writing a character that has no one to rely on. She doesn't really interact with anyone, and it really changes the dynamics of the story. Of course, now she's planning on changing that...

You'll see how it works out... I hope that you find it interesting!

Thank you so much for the lovely review and I do hope that you continue to read on! :)

So I've been hanging onto this review for a while, waiting for a milestone. Ergo, you get review #850. Hope you enjoy it!

I liked the way you started this chapter off. Those five sentences do a great job of capturing her mindset, I think. They're simple and somewhat light-hearted and very meaningful to be so short. Nice job!

This Adri is a strange cat. I can't for the life of me figure out whether he's interested in Pansy in a romantic sense or merely as subject matter for his articles. This chapter would lead me to believe the latter, but there's always a spark of interest there. It's somewhat maddening, so I can only imagine how Pansy feels.

He told it well, and Pansy found herself laughing at several points. -- I don't know what it is about that sentence, but I had it highlighted from my first read-through. Something about saying "he told it well" is quintessentially Pansy. It's complimentary, but not over the top. It implies both accomplishment and room for improvement. When you are in the Pansy Zone, it's all about the little things.

“I hope you don’t mind. I ordered the same for the both of us—it’s a dish that I’ve found goes well with just about every drink that a person could order, works for just about every set of taste buds a person could have and –this one’s the key—it fits in well during an interview. Doesn’t take long to chew and swallow.” -- This passage left me nearly at a loss for words. In one way, it's sort of discouraging. This really is meant to be a working dinner for him. He's geared their food around being able to ask her questions and her being able to answer them. Not very romantic, to say the least. But, it's a very practical idea and it will definitely help to maintain social gracefulness -- heaven forbid somebody should have to speak with their mouth full -- in an antisocial sort of way. Things like that make me thing that he'd be perfect for her. Ugh. So conflicted!

I thought you did an awesome job with Pansy's response to the "trap question" on Hermione's elvish welfare law. That one seemed almost geared to get her to say something controversial, and she handled it tactfully and gracefully. Maybe there's hope for her yet!

And then he doesn't call. Some situations transcend the line between the muggle and magical world.

The scene in the pet store was cleverly done. I enjoyed the parallel tracks that the story was moving on as Pansy tried to deal with both Astor's problems and her own.

She was a grown woman, and a grown woman wouldn’t write their name linked with a man’s on parchment paper. That practice would have to wait until their engagement was announced. -- Oh, goodness. Pansy has a terrible habit of getting ahead of herself.

Now I'm really looking forward to the next time we see Pansy and Adri together. It's so hard to tell whether there's anything there. I need more empirical data!

I really love how you're able to write an emotional story full of interesting details even if the main character never escapes the confines of her own house (at least to date). It's clear that Pansy has begun to succumb to the effects of her solitude; it's so sad to imagine her wandering around her house all alone, to the point where her own reflection is her best company.

I love the focus on Draco in this chapter. You have to wonder what exactly went wrong between him and Pansy because all we know is that they were ostensibly together in sixth year and then he shows up with Astoria in the future at King's Cross. It was especially refreshing to see Pansy use her wit to try to recapture him by brewing Amortentia. At first I thought she was going to try to sneak him some in order to get that feeling of being loved and adored again, but it's even more desperate that she just uses it to capture his scent and relive their time together. I wonder if they'll meet again soon or if house arrest and other issues will keep them apart.

I can tell you had a lot of patience with this chapter in terms of carefully describing the potion-making process and Pansy's experiences alone in her house. I'm sort of jealous of your attention to detail, because it makes the story easy to follow and interesting.

For some reason, this chapter seemed to have a lighter feel than the previous one. Perhaps it was the quiet and boredom of Pansy's captive existence. I liked it, though, because it felt sort of normal. For a moment, I almost forgot that she was under house arrest and imagined her as a petulant child stuck indoors on a cold, rainy day. I enjoyed reading about how she chose to entertain herself by cleaning up her things and reading.

It's interesting how you've managed to retain Pansy's true personality despite her situation. Even if she can't reign over the other students at Hogwarts, she can still entertain herself by thinking about how much lower they are compared to her. I especially love how she still fantasizes about her happily-ever-after with Draco, as if there is nothing to threaten that and this whole thing with the Ministry and the war will just blow over one day. I was almost surprised when she smoothly concluded that she didn't need her exams to be a trophy wife.

One thing I wasn't quite sure about was your use of the word "strewed" when discussing potentially incriminating objects in the Parkinson home. You may have meant "construed," which signifies a way of interpreting something. "Strewn" refers to things being placed haphazardly about the room or floor.

It'll be very interesting to see how things develop as Pansy's imprisonment term lengthens and she begins to realize the true consequences of the war. I'm very glad you decided to swap with this story :)

-Amanda

Author's Response: Hello! I am finally, finally responding to your fantastic review. Hopefully I can leave you one in return within the next few days.

I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter, even though it had a lighter atmosphere. I'm glad that it felt sort of normal because, of course, Pansy will spend so long inside the house that it should feel like some sort of normal. :)

I'm also really glad that you think Pansy still has her true personality. It's something that I tried really hard to do, and was really hard to do, because Pansy has such a different way of thinking than me.

I'll look into my use of that word. Thanks for pointing it out! :)

Yes, poor Pansy has several shocking developments still in the wings... Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful review! :D

It’s been way too long. That’s the only negative about reading ahead, is I don’t have to read to find out what happened so it’s easier to not come back and review. But I love getting to read the chapters again to see the changes in such a more direct light, and I WILL not continue until I’m caught up on reviews, haha!

Anyway, I love that Pansy had to sort of build her confidence back up. Instead of being constantly confident like she would have been before Voldemort fell, it takes a bit for her to get there. And she’ll never be there again, which is good but almost a tiny bit sad. I know it shouldn’t be, because she was terrible. I just hope she gets stronger by the end of all this.

I really liked her thinking of the Goblin as an its. It is incredible fitting. Oh she works so hard to be poised but not appear cruel and further ruin any chance at being able to feel like a member of society.

Oh she has such a long road ahead of her. But this chapter was really a turning point to get her to push forward with her life. I didn’t realize that then, it just seemed like anotehr stepping stone, but it was a really a big ‘Pansy Moment.’

Excellent chapter as always ♥

Author's Response: Hi! It's great to see you again- and it's been too long since I've reviewed your story as well. :P

I'm glad that you're enjoying Pansy's build back to confidence (though even in the latest chapters she still isn't quite as sure of herself as she was before the war). I don't know if I can reveal the "end" of her character growth without giving away the ending itself, so I won't speak about it here! :)

Writing about the Goblin as an "its" was a test of my dedication to writing through her perspective, because I really wanted to use "her/him", but I knew that she wouldn't use that language while describing them. They are to her, after all, just beasts.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing and hopefully I'll get a chance to read "Before They Fall" again soon!

It's clear from what I've previously read of yours that characterization is one of your strong points, and this story is no exception so far. I love the little nuances you've built into Pansy's personality. For instance, the line about her fingernails nearly cutting holes into the newspaper as she follows along with the article clearly shows that control is a major concern of hers and she feels very anxious in this strange new topsy-turvy world. I always felt like Pansy cared more about Draco than he did about her in canon, but here I really felt like she was genuinely concerned about his well-being and really felt like she needed him there to stabilize her. I'm anticipating their meeting later in the story--and dreading it, given that he will probably have little to say to her that she would expect.

I also like the contrast between Pansy's desire to retain control and her utter hopelessness at going about it. She can't get the Floo to work, she can't travel with the help of a house elf, and she needs to say the truth out loud to her mother to even get herself to start to believe it. I like how Pansy's mother kept referring to her plans; I can see where Pansy gets her need for control and sense of self-righteousness. Neither of them can believe that the war could have real consequences for them. Makes me wonder what Mr. Parkinson is like!

The imagery in this chapter made me sad, and not because you didn't execute it beautifully (you did). It's weird to watch this sort of palace that Pansy grew up in turn into a prison, with her and her mother left to wander about aimlessly and try to make some sense of their new, trapped reality. Wonder if Pansy misses Hogwarts right about now?

I don't have any critique so far; your stories never disappoint. I'll try to be helpful where I can later on.

Very nice work! I'm definitely eager to read on.

-Amanda

Author's Response: Hello Amanda! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond to this amazing review!

I'm really glad that so far you think I've done a good job with Pansy's characterization. Although I am fairly confident with it in the beginning of the story, as the story moves along Pansy begins to change or develop a lot, and since her development is the main focus of the story, I've been trying extremely hard to make her progress believable.

Mr Parkinson never really appears in the story himself, although he does feature in Pansy's thoughts on occasion. Imagining their family dynamics is very interesting because we've really only seen one Death Eater family in canon, and they, it could be said, gave up on Voldemort during the Final Battle.

Haha- I don't think Pansy misses Hogwarts so much as the freedom and power she felt there. At Hogwarts she felt as though she was at the head of the Slytherin girls, regardless of how true that was, and she felt that she held power because of her father's position as a Death Eater. Without that, without Draco, she feels lost and more helpless than ever before, a feeling that she is definitely not comfortable with.

Thanks for leaving such a well-thought-out reivew and I look forward to continuing our exchange!

That last line is so true. You really do have to figure out how to entertain yourself and that can be so hard to do. I liked this chapter and while the story is still setting itself up i think its moving along rather nicely. I like that you touched on the fact that she hadnt taken her newts yet as its a fact that could be easily over looked. I love her moms reaction with the aurors in her house and how she asked them about her husband. Pansy seems to be developing nicely and im really enjoying the story so far. Great job.

~slytherinchica08~

Author's Response: Thank you for taking the time to read and review this chapter! I'm very pleased that you liked the last line- poor Pansy truly only has herself to pass time with.

I'm also glad that you think the story is moving along nicely. I didn't want to rush the story along too quickly, since it's not an action story and I wanted to expand on Pansy's time alone.

I'm also very glad that you like Pansy's development! It's great to here, as Pansy does change between the start and the end of the story (as she very well should).

Thanks once again for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! :)

Gosh i cant imagine what it would be like to wake up and suddenly have the world seem so different. To wake up and have your hopes dashed and your values no longer beneficial would throw anyone for a loop and then to aadd in a house arrest to it. Pansy was very well done in this chapter, just the right amount of tantrum and believable actions, though i do find it funny that it appeared she only checked the magical methods of escape. I like that her mom didnt really want to believe her as something like this would be hard to believe. I look forward to seeing where the next chapter will take us. Great job!

~slytherinchica08~

Author's Response: Thanks once again for taking the time to leave a review! It was really difficult for me as well to imagine her feelings at that moment, but I hope I did a satisfactory job with what I wrote. After all, if you know the character, then it's easier to imagine their reactions to anything and everything.

I guess she only checked the magical methods because she figured that the Ministry would be smart enough to seal the physical manners of leaving the manor. As well, being raised a witch, I don't think she'd automatically think of leaving through the front door. She's more of a flooing/apparating type of gal. :)

I'm glad that you liked her mother's reaction. While more reserved than and slightly different from Pansy's own reaction, it definitely suits her personality.

Thanks once again for taking the time to leave a review! I really appreciate it!

I love the beginning to your story. Youve done a great job with your portrayal of pansy and her motives and thoughts. I love how you start this story out with a canon moment and one where anything that happens after is really all up to you. It was nice to see professor slughorn turn back and go to the war but making sure that there was someone to watch over everyone else as well. I also love how pansy wasnt really bothered with making sure they all left to go somewhere, it really reinforced the fact that she believes the dark ord is going to win and by doing this she could be in his good graces for making sure the pureblood children all left fine. This was a great beginning and i look forward to the next chapter.

~slytherinchica08~

Author's Response: Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the beginning of the story. I personally can't imagine a different beginning to the story (and I suppose that's a good thing, since I'm the one who wrote it), since this is the moment here I could truly start to write her life after the war.

Yes, Pansy definitely believes that the Dark Lord is going to win. She's in for a rather rude awakening the next morning, though.

Okay, not exactly the pug one, but the pug decision where darling Reflection reminders her of her promise.

I almost forgot that at this point she doesn't have him, poor Pansy :(.

I really liked the fact that she wanted the hex the owl for digging his claws into his wood, but didn't because she still had to use him. She has such an immense amount of self control. A lot of people raised the way she was, to get what they want when they want it, wouldn't be able to master it the way Pansy has. And I think it's such an important part of her character.

I loved that the supplies had been put in the library. It's so awesome to compare this Pansy to how she eventually gets. I'm just so proud of her. And again shows her ability to understand herself.

The way she had to concentrate so much on the letter, it had to be perfect. Again, I don't understand how you're able to weave so much character into every line. I like the rare show of frustration she gives into by crumpling the paper and throwing it on the ground. It's a small thing for anyone else, I crumple paper up all the time. But for Pansy, it's rare show for her and her iron tight self control. But the fact that she's doing it to rewrite the letter, to get it perfect, counters her actions perfectly. Am I making sense? This is your fault. Pansy makes me so... thoughtful. Haha.

I still, even on my current chapters, don't know what I think about Reflection. She creeps me out, mainly because she shows us how desperate Pansy has become for attention. Even her own attention.

And I wonder who this person she bumps into is? Hehe.

Ohh Roots, you have no idea how much this is just Pansy to me now. You've created such an amazing character. See you soon for the next chapter ♥

Author's Response: Hello! Thank you so much for reviewing and I'm very sorry that it's taken me so long to respond!

I'm glad that you liked that moment. Pansy isn't able to indulge herself in her desires because the importance of maintaining a good appearance has been repeated to her many times over. She feels as though she can't let herself get out of control... And, as you said, it's become a major part of her character.

I'd almost forgotten that I had included that part about the supplies and the library! I'm really glad that you liked that detail. It definitely does show the progress she's made because she's out of her manor the majority of the time now... Or at least just for work.

Thank you so much for the compliment! I don't understand how you're able to capture the entire cast of the Marauders era so perfectly! :P Your thoughts do make sense. It was a rare show of emotion breaking through the cracks, and an even rarer show of it affecting her to such a visible degree.

Pansy's Reflection is an... interesting part in the story.

Oh, I have no idea who she bumped into. None at all... *whistles*

Thank you so much for the absolutely fantastic review! I'm so glad that I've written Pansy (and I wish we could use italics in responses) for you! :D

Awesome! I thought there would be more to this Adri fellow than first impressions would indicate. It's obviously impossible to tell at such an early stage whether he's going to wind up being The One -- or whether he even has any interest -- but Pansy has set her sights on him and the game is on!

I like what this new determination is doing for her. She's finally trying to rebuild bridges with her coworkers. Nicola and Lesley seem moved enough by Pansy's loss to open themselves back up to her. Teresa seems like the most high school-ish of the bunch. And she has another great reason to avoid Cyril.

Wow, she really is starting to understand other people better, isn't she? This line in particular jumped out at me: "She could have told him that she had guessed his destination—there were no other departments on this floor, after all—but she didn’t want to. In some flash of intuition, she knew that he would be hurt by that comment, though he would try and play it off as a joke on his part, and she didn’t want to hurt him." That is an amazing leap for Pansy. I think it's the first time she's been able to put herself into the mindset of anyone outside of her own social strata.

I love the way that she tries to pretend she's somewhere else while eating in the Ministry cafeteria. Classic Pansy. And actually sort of clever, too!

You've left me very curious, based on the ambiguous way that you wrote her conversation with Adri. He might really be interested in her at a personal level, dare we even imagine a romantic interest? Or he may simply have a professional interest in her point of view. Regardless, he's willing to actually approach her in a friendly way, so that's something.

In the end, she's still treating this a little too much like a research project and not quite enough like a basic human interaction, but she's learning. Even her reflection seems to approve.

I noticed a couple of typos as I was reading:

The sound of Adri Bennett’s voice caused her to look of from her process of shuffling to the side to allow the occupants of the lift to exit. look up from her process?

Her family had immigrated to England shortly before the Second Wizarding World and hadn’t had the means to leave the country when it broke out. - Second Wizarding War?

Otherwise, your writing was lovely as always!

Is it OK that I feel afraid for Pansy? I'd love to see this work out for her, but there's such a long way to go and it's fraught with peril. Until next time!

Author's Response: I'm so, so sorry for taking this long to respond to your fantastic review! But thank you for taking the time to review!

Yes, there definitely is more to Adri's role in the story than it first appeared...

I'm glad that you liked her new determination. She was in need of a bit of a refresher after the latest deterrents to it, wasn't she?

That sentence is one of my favourites for this chapter because it shows the progress she's made. At the start of the story, she may (and that's a possibility, not a certainty) have understood how others would react to her actions, but she wouldn't have cared if they were hurt by them, if their reactions didn't have negative repercussions for her. Now, she's withheld a comment simply because she knew that it would hurt Adri...

I'm glad that you liked that part! I don't think that Pansy could have managed to eat in the Ministry cafeteria yet without that coping mechanism.

You'll see more of Adri and his intentions very soon... Even as soon as the next chapter, I believe. :)

Thanks for pointing out those typos! I'll be sure to fix them!

Haha- I'm feeling very cautious and worried about Pansy myself! Thanks once again for your lovely review!

Roots! You've been giving me such lovely reviews *hug* I was about to respond but then decided that could wait until morning and I'd rather come review the next Pansy chapter!

Now that I know what happens, I'm looking at her in a whole new lights. Trying to stop the signs, and I feel a lot angrier at Pansy for how she's treating her mother than I did the first read through. I remember being more understanding, because she's such a logical sort of personality and her mother is so much more timid and quiet, that it made sense for Pansy to get easily irritated at her.

That still does make sense, but I'm just imagining more of how her Mother must've felt this time :(

It was so sad that the visit to Azkaban didn't do anything more emotional for her. She's hardened herself, and been raised in such a matter of fact way, that I didn't expect it to (even of the first read through) but at the same time I was hoping she'd just break. But she has something else to concentrate one. She's let herself forget, or ignore, what happened with Draco, she's not letting herself feel the fact that her father really is gone at this point (as good as gone, at least) she's just trying to move on to the next step of her plan.

The explanation of what they did to protect Azkaban, now that we no longer have dementors doing it, was one of the best I've ever read. The idea that they can separate the witch or wizard from their magic is just so perfect. It's easy to imagine how you'd feel having that integral part of you missing... and it is just such a creative touch.

This was an awesome chapter and, even if she wasn't able to find the kind of emotion I wanted her to, I was still proud of Pansy for going to Azkaban.

Okay, I'm off to finish work emails. Thanks for writing another amazing chapter to such an addicting story ♥

Author's Response: Your story deserves them and it was my pleasure to write them!

One thing that's really interesting about being a writer is how you experience (or at least intimately understand) the emotions of your characters. This fact has created a conflict in my mind about Pansy's mother. On one hand, I understand why she's like how she is... But on the other hand, I see her through Pansy's eyes and Pansy is very unforgiving. It's very interesting to see that your views of her have changed as well, now that you have knowledge of the future (o!).

Writing the scene in Azkaban was very interesting (and I really should find a different word to use than interesting but it works so well...) because though I was aware of her father's state and tried to show it through small hints and details, Pansy refused to let herself see it and so I couldn't write it overtly. I'm glad that it came across well.

Eeep! I'm so happy that you think that! Personally, I think that it would be an absolutely terrifying experience, to have such an integral part of your body taken away like that, and I think that it would be very effective in stopping anyone from trying to escape. After all, the guards have magic and the prisoners would feel so empty without it that they probably wouldn't even try.

Thank you once again for re-reading and reviewing! I'm really excited to hear your thoughts on future chapters!

This entire chapter made me sad for her on so many levels. In the beginning you do such an amazing job at making us understand what this isolation really is doing to her.

She isn't meant to spend months, years alone. No one is, and that's eating at her. She's terrified of what the outside world will do to her, but now she's let herself become so detached from it that she doesn't even realize how unhealthy she is. Trying to imagine being locked in your mind for that long, being too scared to take part in the real world but trying to justify that you just don't need it.

Until this reality check...

It is half frightening that she even considered her and Draco still a couple. But again, it goes so well with her current mental status. Not only does that news really break her apart, but the fact that she can't conceive when Draco may have met Astoria and fallen in love really shows more about her. She assumes because locked herself away, the rest of the purebloods who were involved in the war did the same.

You know what's neat? Going back and reading for a second time so I can review gives me a chance to see that, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time, Pansy really has come along way. The progress is so slow (and it has to be, because it's realistic. You don't go from as unwell as she currently is to the position she eventually will be in the new chapters over night.) Anyway, the progression is slow so it doesn't seem as huge when it happens. But now reading back over on this chapter, remember how terrible she'd been and reading the newer chapters where she goes out with coworkers, socializes, goes to work... it's just such huge steps for her. I never really appreciated the level of care you took to make sure all those were done at the right time, and to make sure they felt natural... I'm actually really glad I didn't review on my first read around because, like I said, I'm picking up so much more having known where Pansy will be in the 'future'.

Awesome chapter, m'dear!

Author's Response: Hello! I always love reading your reviews and I'm so glad that you've left another one! :D

I'm also very, very glad that you think I did a good job of portraying the effects of her isolation on her. It was a very interesting passage to write because I tried to get across the sensation that a lot of time was passing, that her isolation and desolation was growing.

I think that Pansy would have gone on believing that she and Draco were a couple until the end of time if he hadn't stepped in and told her himself. She was so set in the mindset that they were together that nothing less could have shaken that knowledge.

Yes, yes, yes! I'm so happy about your observation! I've been trying to change Pansy slowly (I have a long-term projection of where I want her to end up) but it's fantastic to have someone else realize the changes and think that they've been done realistically. Thank you!

Thank you once again for taking the time to re-read and review! I love reading your comments and this review made my day! :D

Hello! Interesting first chapter - I am intrigued! Of course, it's a wonderful play with dramatic irony - we're all aware of the outcome, and just how wrong darling Pansy is...

This is an altogether new experience for me - my first Pansy-fic, and I am enjoying it very thoroughly; I am excited to see where it takes me! :D It is indeed slightly strange (but refreshingly so) to see the events of the war through her eyes.

Oh! and... Kudos to the interweaving of the DH events into the story - it is integrated really well.

Much love and props to your writing!
~ spreaddapoo

Author's Response: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! I'm so glad that you're intrigued!

Haha- yes, poor Pansy is very, very wrong in her assumptions. But she'll learn about that soon enough. :)

I haven't read too many Pansy stories either- she doesn't seem to be a very popular character to write about. (I wonder why). :) I'm glad that you're enjoying the story, which will soon go into the aftermath of the war through the eyes of a Slytherin/Dark witch.

Hello, hello! Bet you didn’t expect to see me this soon. After the cliffhanger from the last chapter, I had to come check this out.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the way that Pansy struggles in her conversation with Draco. She’s clearly going through a very difficult time, one that she’s not at all emotionally equipped to deal with. The isolation seems to be getting to her, so she reaches out to the only person she can speak to without being seen by her peers… and she goes about it in the worst possible way. She seems to vacillate between insulting him and begging – of course she doesn’t see it as begging, but that’s more or less how I read it – for him to acknowledge her. Even after all this time, she’s still pretty messed up on the inside. As much as anything, I always thing of your story as a cautionary tale on the dangers of bottling up your emotions instead of dealing with them.

Draco has obviously changed a lot. The flashes of understanding – maybe even pity – that he feels toward her suggest a level of maturity that has eluded Pansy. He seems fairly comfortable with himself, not needing to put on any sort of show for her benefit. Just as she’s studying him, he seems to draw a conclusion about her, as well. And the conclusion he comes to hurts her very badly. It’s sad.

Oh, no. Her reflection is back. And talking this time, as well. This can’t be a good sign.

I have so many mixed feelings about her new plan to restore the Parkinson name. On the surface, it seems like a good thing that she’s shedding the restrictive and very limiting tenet of only considering a pure blood suitor. But she seems so determined now to go and find a husband, it makes me worry that she’s charging into this without a lot of forethought. The poor thing has only one frame of reference for what a marriage should be like, the distant, cold, stilted relationship between her own parents. I don’t think that’s going to serve her well in her quest.

So I noticed one typo at the very beginning of the chapter that you might want to take a second look at: “Pansy continued to bit her tongue” – bite. Otherwise, your writing was flawless!

I think I’m more intrigued that ever at this point as to exactly where you’re planning to take this story. Pansy has so much to learn about how real adults relate to one another. So many walls she’s erected around herself that will have to come down if this marriage she’s planning has any chance of lasting. I think the opportunities for exploring her character are almost endless. I’m looking forward to learning what she discovers about herself as she tries to build a close relationship with another.

Author's Response: Thank you so much for reviewing and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to respond!

This chapter marks one of the major turning points of the story, so I'm glad that you didn't find it unrealistic or completely odd. A lot of the rest of the story is based on what is said in this chapter... :)

I really liked your interpretation of the conversation between Draco and Pansy. She can't cope with him ignoring her as well so she tries several different methods to get him to respond... Even though he doesn't respond in a very pleasant manner and then she's hurt by his response.

Draco has been able to close off whatever previous dependence or closeness he had to Pansy, something that Pansy has not quite managed to do, despite her attempts. He doesn't like her and only went into the tomb with her because of pureblood tradition... And this distance, this dislike, comes out during the conversation.

You're absolutely correct. Pansy hasn't given her new declaration and path much thought, other than to think that it will surely secure her family's reputation. And, unfortunately, she will try to imitate her parents while seeking a spouse.

Thanks for pointing out the typo! I'll go and fix it!

I'm so glad that you're still interested in the story! Thanks for continuing to read and review- I really appreciate it!

I'm so sorry that I didn't come to this immediately when it was upated, I only just checked. It had been a while since your last update but I'm so happy to see you back, its always a pleasure. :)
I had such a bad feeling from the previous chapter and I'm so sad to see that Pansy's mother has passed away. I wished that there had been something more between them and while I was reading, I sort of sensed that that really bothered Pansy. She was trying so hard to remain composed but in the end, I think she may have lost herself a little, I would have liked to see her cry and break down. After all, the fact that hardly anyone showed and she's more alone than ever would have had me balling like a baby. I mean, its her mum! But I think she was trying to hold the Parkinson name very high, but I wonder if that's going to have a toll on her. Its a shame that her father was wasting away in Azkaban because I'm sure that he would have been destroyed by the news if he'd been well enough. :(
What I did enjoy while I was reading was the quotes Pansy remembered from her father about living and dying. They seemed strange, coming from a Death Eater, I'll admit, but they made alot of sense and I really hope that Pansy takes them to heart later on. I was surprised to see Draco at the funeral, I didn't expect him to be there after the last time that they had met. It was so awkward but him being there made me a littl relieved for Pansy, though I'm glad her reaction to him wasn't flooding into obsession again. This was such a sad chapter! And part two? I know that it'll make me want to dab at my eyes but I love this story and will follow it until the end. :)
Thanks for the update and I'll see you soon!
Much love,
Gabbie

Author's Response: Hello! It's great to see you again! I'm sorry it's taken me such a long time to update but I'm hoping to get the second part up very soon!

The relationship between Pansy and her mother is very difficult because the manner in which they reacted to their situation was so very different... And their relationship had been weak to begin with, what with Pansy's difficulty with expressing her emotions. There would have had to have been a lot of work and effort used to get them both to a place where they could have a sustainable and strong relationship.

Pansy will definitely have a larger reaction to her emotions in Part 2. The reason she just didn't break down (though the temptation to write that on my part was definitely there) was not only because she had the family reputation to maintain but also because she's not completely sure of her own feelings about the situation. She's upset, definitely, but she's not sure of the depth or extent of her feelings and it doesn't help that she feels that she has to hide them.

My explanation for Draco's appearance at the funeral goes as such: Pansy, as per Pureblood custom, put out a general announcement about her mother's death and then one about where and when her funeral would take place. If anyone wanted to attend, they could. Generally, Purebloods attend the funeral of anyone they knew, regardless of personal feelings. This is all personal thought and speculation, but it's why he's there. :)

Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! I'm so glad that you like this story that much!

Hi darling! I'm so terrible. I'm going to try to review this pretending like I haven't read the first 25 chapters (I told myself I wouldn't read the newest two until I catch up in reviews).

Anyway! I really, really love the sense of fear you've instilled with Pansy returning back into the real world. In her manor she didn't really have to think about what it would be like, think about how she would be received, because she had no way of finding out. She probably has no idea how much she actually changed, well, except for the Mirror (which I'm so far dubbing 'old Pansy' in my head) reminding her of it.

I can't decide if I pity Pansy's mother, or wish Pansy could be more like her. She seems so air headed at times, but then she's accepting this, she's happier about this and taking advantage of it much better than Pansy. But of course that can go along with her air headedness.. I just think she's such a great balance to Pansy's incredibly serious nature, though.

This makes me sad :(. It's supposed to, so that's good, but I feel like so many of these kids aren't anything but a product of their upbringing. Is how they've acted for so long okay? No. But does she deserve the kind of ridicule society is putting on her, probably not. I'm not saying she's a good person by any means, but.. I don't know. She's just a product of stupid people, and that isn't her fault.

I LOVE that you're showing all this, though. That your making me question what I think about Pansy's place in all that, and that you aren't acting like she'd just be accepted into society's welcoming arms. It makes for an amazingly realistic story.

Until next time, m'dear ♥

Author's Response: Hello! I was very glad to see your name again in the "Unanswered reviews"! And I definitely appreciate the difficulty of pretending that you don't know what happens next in the story... :)

I'm so glad that you think that Pansy's reaction to the possibility (and reality) of returning to the wider world is realistic/believable. She's gotten so used to the forced solitude that the possibility of facing others frightens her (not that she'll come right out and say that, of course).

Pansy's mother is definitely an interesting character to write because she's so alien to Pansy, while at the same time being so familiar tpp. She may be handling the changes better at the moment but what will happen when further changes take place? (I suspect that you have a very good idea about this.)

I enjoy reading your thoughts on Pansy. She's definitely a difficult character, isn't she? A product of prejudices; a person who finds it diifcult to change quickly... A person who is firm in their beliefs, a characteristic that would be appreciated if she had the right ones. :P

Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts! They were, as always, a pleasure to read! :)

I like your method of differentiating between Pansy and her reflection. "Her reflection" is just such a mouthful!

I had a bad feeling that her mother wasn't long for this world at the end of the last chapter. It's sad, but not quite the same as if the two of them had a very warm, loving relationship. I guess it's sad in a different sort of way. Pansy almost seems to toy with the notion that she would have gotten closer to her mother if only they'd had more time. I tend to think that's a bit of self-delusion, but self-delusion seems to be something that Pansy is tragically gifted at.

Throughout this chapter, Pansy seemed to be getting these flashes of... something. I'm not completely sure how to interpret them, but I wonder whether they aren't her grief trying to break through the wall that her upbringing has erected around her emotions. Whether it's a bit of a memory of a sudden pang of sadness, something seems to be trying to get out. It's hard to guess whether it will be a good thing or a bad thing for Pansy if her walls are breached. Perhaps some of both. Thinking about her makes me sad.

The polite but empty condolences of her coworkers made it pretty clear that she hasn't yet been forgiven for her mistake, but at least she's getting that level of courtesy. I suppose a recovery is possible.

Your depictions of the funeral were sparse, chilly and really appropriate to the mood, I think. Pansy's thoughts seemed like they were geared toward trying to channel the turmoil she's feeling in any direction except toward her own grief. I especially enjoyed it when she was thinking about the flowers that adorned her mother's coffin, and the obvious symbolism that went along with it.

I thought you had some really great ideas about the customs involved in traditional, pure blood wizarding funerals. It all came across as appropriately solemn and respectful, but not overdone. The ceremony seemed simple and dignified. The whole idea of asking another to act as a surrogate for family when levitating the deceased to their final resting place and the significance of the choice almost had an Italian mafia sort of feel to it, I thought. I really loved the idea of using the selection as a means of reinforcing bonds between families or as a peace offering.

I'm really excited to see what happens next. Pansy seems to be on the cusp of something, some sort of emotional break-out or perhaps a collapse. Either way, Draco is a very interesting choice of companion. Nicely done!

Author's Response: Hello!

I was actually debating with myself about whether or not to drag out her mother's life just a little bit more... But then the scene at the end of the previous chapter wrote itself and seemed very odd and pointless to manipulate the scenes so that it didn't seem as though her mother was dead yet. (Does that last sentence make sense?).

Pansy is definitely capable of seeing the world through a lens. It's a tendency that she probably won't be giving up any time soon.

Pansy, as you know very well, isn't very experienced in dealing with her emotions. She hasn't had any practice in expressing her emotions and she doesn't quite understand just what exactly she's feeling at the funeral.

I'm glad that you liked the direction in which I took the funeral. I was trying to make the descriptions full enough so that readers could visualize what was happening but at the same time keep them sparse and blank enough to suit Pansy's mood. It was a difficult balance but I'm glad that it worked.

I'm happy that you're intrigued about what happens next. Draco will make another apparence in the second part and he will be a catalyst to a very important declaration on Pansy's part... :D